Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I can't believe it will be three weeks tomorrow! This week was a hard one. I was super homesick for a few days and just felt ready to give up. I feel bad about having those thoughts. I'm fine now, but something really had me going for a few days!

I love our second teacher (our first investigator)! I had an interview with him yesterday. He is just so sweet! He's just one of those people that is super easy to talk to! I really hit the jackpot on teachers. Our other teacher has only been home for about four months, but whenever Portuguese speakers hear he is my teacher they talk about lucky I am and how great he is. They are right!

I didn't do the dips this week. I will try to set the record next week. I did fifteen pull ups....I know, not very many, but I hadn't done them since February and I'm used to a gymnastics bar and not a slippery padded one!

The food here is okay....not great, but not bad. I find plenty to eat because there is plenty of fruit and salad. There is quite a bit of breaded meat, but the breading comes off easily. I can usually find something that isn't breaded for lunch and dinner. It's definitely cafeteria food and I just haven't had to deal with that before!

This week -all in all- wasn't bad. I didn't mean to start off on a bad note! It was hard for a few days there, but I know this is where I need to be and the Lord is helping me through the rough days. I miss you! I miss having someone who understands me so well!

Love you,

Sister Tanton

A view of some of the missionaries Tuesday night at the Marriott Center. (Don't worry- we had permission to take pictures!)

Monday, July 29, 2013

I understood even more in church Sunday! I actually got most of what was said! I haven't been called up to speak yet, but now if I am it must be in Portuguese. (The first two weeks can be in English.) I don't know if I told you, but I'm singing in the choir here! We practice two days a week and sing at the Tuesday night devotionals! I love it!

I had one of "those" moments today..... Sister C. and I were writing letters in the laundry room when two elders walked by. They were not in P-day clothes and we both thought, "Oh, look, there are the missionaries!" We then remembered that we are missionaries, too! I had that kind of moment on Sunday at the devotional, too, when two elders walked by and I thought, "I wonder why the missionaries are here!" It is still completely surreal that I'm a missionary now, too!

For service day we cleaned and we thought we were going to have to do the bathrooms. I got us out of that one! I told Sister T. that I just CAN'T do toilets! You know I really CAN'T!

I DO love it here! I feel more and more like I will go to school in UT after my mission. My hair loves it, too! It isn't even frizzy....ha ha!

The "investigator" we were teaching committed to baptism!! We were so excited even though he wasn't a real investigator! He is now our other teacher and he is great!

I broke a record in the gym yesterday! It was the pull ups record! I'm going to try to break the dips record this week, too. Tell Jay! He'll be proud! *Jay was her long time gymnastics coach.

The devotionals here are amazing! I especially like the Tuesday night devotionals at the Marriott Center. Our district has a devotional discussion after those. The Spirit is so strong here and I can't even begin to second guess my decision to come out when I feel how strong it is all day long!

We didn't get to go on a temple walk this Sunday because of interviews with the branch presidency, but we got to do one before emails today. It was so spiritual to do our personal study there! I think that was my best personal study thus far!

This week has been really good! I can't believe it has been almost two weeks since I arrived. The saying that the days feel like weeks but the weeks feel like days is really true! That truly is how it feels. It hit me on the way to the temple today that new missionaries are coming in tomorrow again! It feels like yesterday was last Wednesday!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

7/16/2013 The First MTC Message

The MTC is great! Portuguese is super hard, but it's coming! I know how to pray and bear my testimony. I will keep everyone in my prayers! Church on Sunday was great! My district and I realized right before sacrament started that it would be in Portuguese.. haha! I understood about every other word, so I could piece together what was said! I do love learning Portuguese though! It has been super frustrating at times, but it is such a beautiful language and it is coming quickly since I can already understand some things and it has only been 5 days!

The temple is closed until Aug. 11.... We only get to go once.

My district is great! I didn't feel like I was behind after my crazy trip here.... I got here for the last half of orientation. (Elder T. was right....I felt a bit brain dead!) The start to my mission was a rocky one and a nightmare, but it has also been a learning experience. I know for sure that we are never alone! As the many stranded people tried to find their way, the Lord provided me with the knowledge of where to go and who to call. I think one day I will laugh at that travel experience......maybe!

The Watts are the best people ever! They are super sweet! On the trip to the MTC, Bro. Watts pointed out a whole bunch of chapels and all the temples! I love the mountains! You should definitely move here! The dry air was awful the first day, but now I love it!

Oh, I about freaked when I saw my schedule..... We have b-fast at 6:30... yes, 6:30- which means we have to get up at 6, but we still go to bed at 10:30.... I've gotten used to it now though!